Should the US government increase regulation of education or simply leave well enough alone?

David Halpern seems to think government needs to do something and Katherine Mangu-Ward seems to think we could do without nearly as much government as we have now.  They discuss the topic for 51 minutes.  Mangu-Ward makes a good case that the myth of the benevolent wise government bureaucrat is just that. 

Meet the Air Pod

Created by some men in France.  Tata of India is said to be interested.
Referral credit: Hot Air

Fareed Zakaria advocates for more government and more immigration

Fareed Zakaria advocates for more taxes (VAT or sales tax) as well as more government investment.  Apparently Europe has been doing things right for so many years so he believes the US should copy that flourishing model.  He fails to mention how excessive government spending on military imperialism has impoverished the US economy.
I hope that come 2012 that more candidates will support the platform of the Free Soil party.
Image credit: Larry D. Moore

Are the actions of the Federal Reserve too difficult to understand?

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Are the actions of the Federal Reserve too difficult to understand?  Jon Stewart can help.

How is it that I know about this clip.  Thank Arkady.

Democrat Terry Goddard (and candidate for Governor of Arizona) is calling on the Arizona legislature to focus on a review of the operation of privately contracted prisons. He also apparently thinks that Proposition 108 is purely symbolic. I wonder if his pro-union supporters also share that opinion?

If the proposal is symbolic surely the Democrats in the legislature should be happy to waive the three reads requirement so that the pressing issue of prison safety can be discussed. Why am I not so sure?

Photo credit: Natashalatrasha

What the tweet!

Rodney Glassman's campaign for the US Senate seat currently held by John McCain needs to learn that before Arizona voters tweet about his campaign he has to have something worth tweeting about. So far I have yet to see one position Glassman holds that is going to keep jobs from being drained from high cost Arizona into low cost places like the Philippines.

Why does a country like the US loose out on jobs to a country like the Phillipines? It is because US businesses have such high taxes that go to pay for the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and businesses in the Phillipines don't.

I'll offer John Dougherty a suggestion while I am at it. Complaining about the BP oil spill isn't going to get you any votes in sunny Arizona. The Democrats have been singing the hosannas of clean energy for years and it isn't any more affordable now than it was 5 years ago - because oil has a subsidy few are willing to eliminate the US government defense of the oil farm of the world - the middle east.

I am very happy that Arizona voters will have a choice in November to vote for a candidate who knows that there ain't no such thing as a free occupation. David Nolan will offer that choice.

The occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan causes American job losses every day. Oh, I almost forgot. US soldiers die regularly as well.

Who’s the Real Lobbyist? John McCain or JD Hayworth? asks Shane Wikfors at SonoranAlliance.com. He writes a full article with plenty of reasons to give any Arizona Republican a reason NOT to vote for John McCain on Tuesday, August 24th. If he was more secure about JD Hayworth's bona fides he wouldn't feel the need to make Jim Deakin nameless.

Islam, Christianity, Conficianism, Buddism, Jainism. What problem does each religion address and what solution does each offer? Stephen Prothero has written a book called "God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter". Both my parents are converts to the Bahá’í Faith which asserts the idea of the Oneness of Religion. I was able to see the author on C-SPAN tonight and I hope if you have a chance that you will choose to listen to him. I'll keep an eye out for his book at my local library or bookstore.

Picture credit: Wikipedia:Jainism

Alan Korwin, an all around good guy I know, recently posted a article on illegal immigration which I have a few complaints about.

He starts by throwing out two statements that to a greater or lesser degree are false. "Arizona welcomes immigrants. Always has." The first statement is certainly not true if you happen to have been born in Canada or Mexico. The second may have been true at some point before 1967 but in my entire adult life I have never known that peaceful and hard working immigrants have been welcomed to Arizona without overcoming years of government hurdles.

Mr. Korwin then goes on to complain that illegal immigrants educate their children here at taxpayer expense. That much is true but is also true for each and every child of legal immigrants and Americans. He further complains about being ripped off by government social services. I agree but the problem is the people that vote for government and the government programs that provide "free" services. I have taken advantage of a few government programs (unemployment from time to time among others). I don't see how the recipient is responsible for benefits given out by the government.

He does mention at a few points in his post about the laws enforced by Mexico on illegal immigrants in that country. This makes about as much sense as referring to European laws on gun control being a reason that Americans should be thankful that we have the US BATFE regulations because they aren't as restrictive as those in Europe.

As always I encourage Americans to read Let Them In by Jason L. Riley or this Washington Post article if they want to learn more about the incorrect arguments offered by the apologists of government immigration prohibition.

Photo credit: JohnSeilerBlogs.com

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected..."

Is it time to get back to basics?

Paul Strauss, an 8th grade science teacher, asks me via Twitter.com "since you're running for Treas. & voting no on 100 what is the exact additional amt we can cut frm schls before it harms stdnt?"

First I'll start with my personal thank you to my government elementary school math teacher Robert "Bob" Guzley. He along with my government high school teacher Robert Finkbine did a fantastic job.

I believe Paul Strauss is asking the wrong question. If I could I would eliminate every single government school from the great land of Arizona. I don't think that government operated schools help students compared to the option of a free market education system. I believe Arizona students would be far better off if the government didn't operate a monopoly system of education.

Paul Strauss, thank you for asking.

Borrowing, taxing and spending. Those three are getting to be the favorite bipartisan activities of Republicans and Democrats these days. I can't read the news for more than a few minutes before I hear that Senator Kyl and Senator McCain want to hire thousands more Border Patrol agents.

I have yet to hear that they are going order the US Army to decamp from South Korea which means they are proposing yet more borrowing, taxing and spending.

If you want really responsible elected officials, vote for a Libertarian Party candidate.

Arizona taxpayers deserve better than the same old lies from the same old Republicans and Democrats.

Picture credit: AlterGroup

The anti-SB 1070 lobby is comprised of people and groups who are very attached to labeling any law they don't agree with as a hate bill. The problem is that the supporters of SB 1070 such as Senator Russell Pearce have been denying that with a straight face for years. Clamoring about a hate bill is going to be effectively countered by "what part of illegal don't you understand".

I would love if more people advocated the ideas that arresting and deporting illegal aliens is a waste of resources, is immoral and is unproductive.

The more angles you can successfully assert the harder time the immigration prohibition movement will have to support their position.

Every hour it takes a policeman in Arizona to arrest an Mexican immigrant would be far better spent arresting a burglar or murderer. Hector the gardener doesn't worry me. Phil the burglar does.

When Big Business, Big Education and Big Union in Arizona all combine to advocate for Proposition 100 who will battle to protect the wallet of Joe Taxpayer? Tom Jenney and the Americans for Prosperity will. Tom and his merry men don't have the teacher's union to fund his budget so he will battle with words instead of paid advertising.

Luckily taxpayers outnumber members of the teacher's union so we still have a fighting chance of putting a crimp in the diet of government funded special interests.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

I am no fan of the idea of voting for "anybody but". However when it comes to elected officials who voted to tax and borrow so that the deflating financial bubble didn't crimp the vacation plans of the financial industry by voting for TARP I may have to reconsider. John McCain is clearly easily suckered.

His Republican opponent in the upcoming Arizona Republican primary was such a lackluster Republican that he was defeated by Harry Mitchell in 2006.

I agree with Glenn Beck's statement that it isn't enough for a Republican candidate to "...just to not suck as much as the other side."

The bare minimum a candidate must support is an audit of the Federal Reserve. Jim Deakin does manage this.

I hope that Arizona will produce a Libertarian Party candidate for US Senate because the US government really needs to be brought to heel. The US Army is still in South Korea decades after the war there ended. US taxpayers should not be funding South Korea's national defense.

Picture credit: bumperart.com

Bailing out bankers isn't popular back in Utah. Who would have guessed? (Anybody who pays attention) I am hoping that Bob Bennett will serve as a painful lesson to elected officials in Washington (and candidates for those offices) that voters have awoken and will no longer be hypnotized into the role of serving as batteries to benefit the Inner Party.

In addition to meeting Rebecca DeWitt tonight I was also able to briefly meet Arizona Green Party candidate for US Senate Jerry Joslyn. I'm hoping his next campaign video will be a call to end the US war on name of foreign country here.

Can you say $1 million per soldier per year in Afghanistan?

Recently I've noticed that elected Democrats are advocating for "tough and fair" immigration. US immigration law is plenty tough enough already. The US needs to legalize immigration for those peaceful immigrants who wish to live and work in the US. It appears to me that Democrats think immigration is a tough on crime issue when the issue is that crime *is* the issue when separated from peaceful immigration. The only way to reduce crime related to immigration prohibition is to make it possible for immigrants to live and work in the US. Given that Libertarian Party candidates are the only people (that I've noticed) willing to identify prohibition as the problem and eliminating prohibition as the solution I hope voters in November will support a solution (ending prohibition) to the crime that results from prohibition.

Photo credit: Houston's Clear Thinkers

Alto Arizona PSA - Zack de la Rocha

I'll be working Sunday but I hope those who are concerned about Republican efforts to reduce freedom in Arizona will show up on Sunday at the Capitol.

I have long admired Kyrsten Sinema for her willingness to work with people who have different opinions. She recently tweeted that the federal government already requires proof that the President is a natural born citizen as required by the US Constitution. If this is the case I wonder if she can provide a reference as to who is responsible for enforcing this constitutional requirement.

I ran for Congress in 2008 and other than providing my Arizona driver license I wasn't asked for a lick of proof. Those who support further investigation of Barack Obama's birth records certainly aren't going away.

Photo credit: RewardForObamasBirthCertificate.com

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the April 15 Tax Day Tea Party at Tempe Diablo Stadium. I was able to listen to Tom Jenney (always a pleasure) and Gary Johnson (former 2 term governor of New Mexico). It was worth having to listen to the advocates of immigration prohibition Russell Pearce and Tom Tancredo.

I was able to meet in person for the first time two of my opponents, Barbara Leff and Thayer Vershoor. I am disappointed that Al Gore has chosen to support Democrat Andrei Cherney but given the fact that Al Gore is hardly someone likely to support a candidate that believes in the right of the people to keep their own hard earned money I guess it was a given.

Andrei Cherney apparently was unable to attend the Tea Party event today (or perhaps I just missed him in the crowd).

I was delighted to learn that Libertarian firebrand and Camerafraud.com assistant organizer Andrea Garcia will be running against Russell Pearce in legislative district 18 in the upcoming general election Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010.

AxTheTaxAz.com was seen on signs all over the event. Tom Jenney and the speakers all encouraged the audience to talk to our friends and coworkers about the need to defeat this unwise sales tax hike.

Rep. Daniel R. Patterson takes a moment to assert his support of fair taxes. A higher sales tax apparently isn't fair. Would he support a movement to repeal the sales tax?

Photo credit: Goldberg

The biggest influence in my decision to run for Arizona State Treasurer was Dean Martin's connivance is helping the Arizona government borrow ever more money. And while I did register "VoteForGrover.mp" I think the ease of use of twitter will allow me to get more info out to the public in a format that Joe Arizona will read.

And if my campaign can help even one child learn more about Grover Cleveland then it will be worth it.

Onward, for the children!

Rep. Kucinich from Ohio, Rep. Duncan from Tennessee and Rep. Paul from Texas offer their thoughts on the Afghanistan war. 18 minutes total

The City of Tempe wants to increase the hotel tax from 3% to 5% to increase the amount of money spent on promotions via the Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau. Why hotels can't collect money without relying on city tax collection is not explained.

Luckily the Goldwater Institute has put out a memo on why raising taxes is not a good idea. Who knew?

I will be voting against Proposition 400 so that hotel operators in Tempe can offer their customers lower prices.